Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Introduction: MarbleToGo(Navigation Mode)

I would be working on the project MarbleToGo(Navigation Mode) during GSoC 2010. The project aims at adding new functionalities to Marble and making interface for Small Screen devices such as Nokia N900 sophisticated and customizable with the help of float items.

Well, I have categorized the project in four parts (or phases as I like them to call):-

1) Smooth re-centring and zoom adjustments of the map based on the location of the GPS Device(user) on the map so that you are not disturbed or lost on the screen while driving .
2) To show the current route instructions consisting of information about the route, landmarks etc. In addition to this the time required and the distance travelled would also be shown to the user.
3) Managing Maps in offline mode: This allows to pre-download the required data that the user would be using during his journey including the possible zoom levels and any additional requirement through a widget. This would be helpful in case, when the user doesn't have constant access to the Internet.
4) Design of interface for Small Screen Devices so as to make use of Marble more convenient and sophisticated by providing users an option on what they want to see on the screen. This would allow marble to take maximum advantage of the available space on the screen.